France has 11 statutory public holidays each year, combining civil and religious celebrations. Whether you’re planning a trip to Paris or organising your next long weekends, these 2026 and 2027 calendars will help you identify key dates and opportunities for long weekends so you can make the most of the capital.
France has 11 statutory public holidays defined by the Labour Code. These dates, which combine civil and religious festivals, punctuate the year and offer wonderful opportunities to discover Paris in a different light or to enjoy long weekends.
Here is the full calendar of public holidays in 2026:
| Public holiday | Date in 2026 | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January | Thursday |
| Easter Monday | 6 April | Monday |
| Labour Day | 1 May | Friday |
| Victory Day 1945 | 8 May | Friday |
| Ascension Day | 14 May | Thursday |
| Whit Monday | 25 May | Monday |
| Bastille Day | 14 July | Tuesday |
| Assumption | 15 August | Saturday |
| All Saints' Day | 1 November | Sunday |
| Armistice Day 1918 | 11 November | Wednesday |
| Christmas | 25 December | Friday |
The year 2026 looks particularly favourable, with several public holidays falling on weekdays, notably Fridays 1 May, 8 May and 25 December, as well as Thursday 14 May. These dates offer excellent opportunities for long weekends to get away for a few days or explore the capital.
If you’d like to start planning your Parisian getaways for next year, here is the full calendar of public holidays for 2027. That year looks set to be ideal for making the most of your holidays, as most key dates fall on weekdays.
| Public holiday | Date in 2027 | Day of the week |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 1 January | Friday |
| Easter Monday | 29 March | Monday |
| Labour Day | 1 May | Saturday |
| Ascension Day | 6 May | Thursday |
| Victory Day 1945 | 8 May | Saturday |
| Whit Monday | 17 May | Monday |
| Bastille Day | 14 July | Wednesday |
| Assumption | 15 August | Sunday |
| All Saints’ Day | 1 November | Monday |
| Armistice 1918 | 11 November | Thursday |
| Christmas | 25 December | Saturday |
In 2027, there are several opportunities for long weekends, particularly around Ascension Day (Thursday 6 May) and Armistice Day (Thursday 11 November). By simply taking Friday 7 May and Friday 12 November off, you can enjoy two four-day weekends to explore new temporary exhibitions or stroll through Paris’s parks.
These public holidays may be observed as days off or working days depending on the sector of activity and the collective agreements in force within each company.
Four dates offer great opportunities for long weekends: Friday 1 May (Labour Day), Friday 8 May (Victory Day 1945), Thursday 14 May (Ascension Day) and Monday 25 May (Whit Monday). These long weekends are ideal for a stay in Paris or a getaway.
May 2026 long weekends: dates and days off:
These long weekends are the perfect opportunity to make the most of Paris in spring, when the capital comes alive with festivals, exhibitions and sunny terraces.
Good news for visitors: many Parisian museums and monuments remain open on public holidays! The Eiffel Tower is open to the public every day of the year, including public holidays, from 9.30 am to 11.45 pm. The Louvre Museum, the Musée d'Orsay, the Arc de Triomphe, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie also remain open on certain public holidays
Please note, however, that most cultural sites are closed on 1 May. Some may have special opening hours on 24 December, 25 December, 31 December and 1 January. The City of Paris’s museums (Petit Palais, Carnavalet Museum, Palais Galliera. ..) are usually closed on public holidays.
It is therefore best to check opening times in advance to avoid disappointment. To plan your visits during the long weekends in May and June, consult our guide to museums and monuments open on public holidays in May and June.
In November, make the most of 11 November, Victory Day, to explore Paris’s collections!
Alsace-Moselle enjoys two additional public holidays thanks to local law: Good Friday (3 April 2026) and Saint Stephen’s Day (26 December). This applies to the departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle. This applies to the departments of Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin and Moselle. These additional days off stem from the annexation of these territories by Germany between 1870 and 1918, a period during which German law applied. After the Second World War, this local law was retained and is now a fundamental principle recognised by the laws of the Republic.
